1
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Sperm oxidative status varies with the level of sperm competition and affects male reproductive success. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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2
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Meniri M, Evans E, Thompson FJ, Marshall HH, Nichols HJ, Lewis G, Holt L, Davey E, Mitchell C, Johnstone RA, Cant MA, Blount JD. Untangling the oxidative cost of reproduction: An analysis in wild banded mongooses. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8644. [PMID: 35342583 PMCID: PMC8928901 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The cost of reproduction plays a central role in evolutionary theory, but the identity of the underlying mechanisms remains a puzzle. Oxidative stress has been hypothesized to be a proximate mechanism that may explain the cost of reproduction. We examine three pathways by which oxidative stress could shape reproduction. The “oxidative cost” hypothesis proposes that reproductive effort generates oxidative stress, while the “oxidative constraint” and “oxidative shielding” hypotheses suggest that mothers mitigate such costs through reducing reproductive effort or by pre‐emptively decreasing damage levels, respectively. We tested these three mechanisms using data from a long‐term food provisioning experiment on wild female banded mongooses (Mungos mungo). Our results show that maternal supplementation did not influence oxidative stress levels, or the production and survival of offspring. However, we found that two of the oxidative mechanisms co‐occur during reproduction. There was evidence of an oxidative challenge associated with reproduction that mothers attempted to mitigate by reducing damage levels during breeding. This mitigation is likely to be of crucial importance, as long‐term offspring survival was negatively impacted by maternal oxidative stress. This study demonstrates the value of longitudinal studies of wild animals in order to highlight the interconnected oxidative mechanisms that shape the cost of reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magali Meniri
- College of Life & Environmental Sciences Centre for Ecology & Conservation University of Exeter Penryn UK
| | - Elsa Evans
- College of Life & Environmental Sciences Centre for Ecology & Conservation University of Exeter Penryn UK
| | - Faye J. Thompson
- College of Life & Environmental Sciences Centre for Ecology & Conservation University of Exeter Penryn UK
| | - Harry H. Marshall
- College of Life & Environmental Sciences Centre for Ecology & Conservation University of Exeter Penryn UK
- Whitelands College Centre for Research in Ecology, Evolution & Behaviour University of Roehampton London UK
| | | | - Gina Lewis
- Department of Biosciences Swansea University Swansea UK
| | - Lauren Holt
- College of Life & Environmental Sciences Centre for Ecology & Conservation University of Exeter Penryn UK
| | - Emma Davey
- College of Life & Environmental Sciences Centre for Ecology & Conservation University of Exeter Penryn UK
| | - Christopher Mitchell
- College of Life & Environmental Sciences Centre for Ecology & Conservation University of Exeter Penryn UK
| | | | - Michael A. Cant
- College of Life & Environmental Sciences Centre for Ecology & Conservation University of Exeter Penryn UK
| | - Jonathan D. Blount
- College of Life & Environmental Sciences Centre for Ecology & Conservation University of Exeter Penryn UK
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3
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Pintus E, Ros-Santaella JL. Impact of Oxidative Stress on Male Reproduction in Domestic and Wild Animals. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021; 10:antiox10071154. [PMID: 34356386 PMCID: PMC8301082 DOI: 10.3390/antiox10071154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxidative stress occurs when the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) overcome the antioxidant defenses of the organism, jeopardizing several biological functions, including reproduction. In the male reproductive system, oxidative stress not only impairs sperm fertility but also compromises offspring health and survival, inducing oxidative damage to lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. Although a clear link between oxidative stress and male fertility disorders has been demonstrated in humans and laboratory rodents, little information is available about the implications of impaired redox homeostasis in the male fertility of domestic and wild animals. Therefore, this review aims to provide an update regarding the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that are associated with oxidative stress in the male reproductive system and their impact on the reproductive performance of domestic and wild animals. The most recent strategies for palliating the detrimental effects of oxidative stress on male fertility are reviewed together with their potential economic and ecological implications in the livestock industry and biodiversity conservation.
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4
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Strategic adjustment of ejaculate quality in response to variation of the socio-sexual environment. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03032-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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5
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Mentesana L, Adreani NM. Acute aggressive behavior perturbates the oxidative status of a wild bird independently of testosterone and progesterone. Horm Behav 2021; 128:104913. [PMID: 33316269 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Aerobically demanding activities like aggression can lead to an elevated oxidative metabolism affecting the concentration of pro-oxidant and antioxidant compounds and can result in an overall perturbation of the oxidative status. Aggression may also alter the oxidative status indirectly through an increase in testosterone and progesterone concentrations. Given that changes in the oxidative status could represent a physiological cost of aggression, we tested the hypothesis that acute conspecific aggression impairs the oxidative status and evaluated the role of testosterone and progesterone as potential mediators. To achieve this, we experimentally manipulated the aggressive behavior of wild female and male birds and measured the concentrations of pro-oxidants, enzymatic- and non-enzymatic antioxidants, testosterone and progesterone in blood. After 20 min of conspecific aggressive behavior, both sexes had lower concentrations of non-enzymatic antioxidants than control individuals. This effect was independent of testosterone and progesterone concentrations, and much stronger in females than in males. Further, only in females (but not in males) being more aggressive came at the expense of lower antioxidant concentration. We provide the first experimental evidence that acute aggressive behavior perturbates the oxidative state of a wild vertebrate independently of testosterone and progesterone, with potential ecological and evolutionary implications given the role of the redox system in shaping life-history traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Mentesana
- Evolutionary Physiology Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany.
| | - Nicolas M Adreani
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany; Konrad Lorenz Research Centre for Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Grünau im Almtal, Austria
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6
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Friesen CR, Noble DWA, Olsson M. The role of oxidative stress in postcopulatory selection. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20200065. [PMID: 33070735 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Two decades ago, von Schantz et al. (von Schantz T, Bensch S, Grahn M, Hasselquist D, Wittzell H. 1999 Good genes, oxidative stress and condition-dependent sexual signals. Proc. R. Soc. B 266, 1-12. (doi:10.1098/rspb.1999.0597)) united oxidative stress (OS) biology with sexual selection and life-history theory. This set the scene for analysis of how evolutionary trade-offs may be mediated by the increase in reactive molecules resulting from metabolic processes at reproduction. Despite 30 years of research on OS effects on infertility in humans, one research area that has been left behind in this integration of evolution and OS biology is postcopulatory sexual selection-this integration is long overdue. We review the basic mechanisms in OS biology, why mitochondria are the primary source of ROS and ATP production during oxidative metabolism, and why sperm, and its performance, is uniquely susceptible to OS. We also review how postcopulatory processes select for antioxidation in seminal fluids to counter OS and the implications of the net outcome of these processes on sperm damage, sperm storage, and female and oocyte manipulation of sperm metabolism and repair of DNA to enhance offspring fitness. This article is part of the theme issue 'Fifty years of sperm competition'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Friesen
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Daniel W A Noble
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Mats Olsson
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, New South Wales, Australia.,Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 463, SE 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
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7
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Mendonça R, Vullioud P, Katlein N, Vallat A, Glauser G, Bennett NC, Helfenstein F. Oxidative costs of cooperation in cooperatively breeding Damaraland mole-rats. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201023. [PMID: 32900314 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Within cooperatively breeding societies, individuals adjust cooperative contributions to maximize indirect fitness and minimize direct fitness costs. Yet, little is known about the physiological costs of cooperation, which may be detrimental to direct fitness. Oxidative stress, the imbalance between reactive oxygen species (by-products of energy production) and antioxidant protection, may represent such a cost when cooperative behaviours are energetically demanding. Oxidative stress can lead to the accumulation of cellular damage, compromising survival and reproduction, thus mediating the trade-off between these competing life-history traits. Here, we experimentally increased energetically demanding cooperative contributions in captive Damaraland mole-rats (Fukomys damarensis). We quantified oxidative stress-related effects of increased cooperation on somatic and germline tissues, and the trade-off between them. Increased cooperative contributions induced oxidative stress in females and males, without increasing somatic damage. Males accumulated oxidative damage in their germline despite an increase in antioxidant defences. Finally, oxidative damage accumulation became biased towards the germline, while antioxidant protection remained biased towards the soma, suggesting that males favour the maintenance of somatic tissues (i.e. survival over reproduction). Our results show that heightened cooperative contributions can ultimately affect direct fitness through oxidative stress costs, which may represent a key selective pressure for the evolution of cooperation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rute Mendonça
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.,Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.,Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | - Nathan Katlein
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.,Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.,Kalahari Meerkat Project, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa
| | - Armelle Vallat
- Neuchâtel Platform of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Gaétan Glauser
- Neuchâtel Platform of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Nigel C Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Fabrice Helfenstein
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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8
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Friesen CR, Rollings N, Wilson M, Whittington CM, Shine R, Olsson M. Covariation in superoxide, sperm telomere length and sperm velocity in a polymorphic reptile. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02855-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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9
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Tuni C, Mizerakis V, Dingemanse NJ. Experimental evidence that winning or losing a fight does not affect sperm quality in a field cricket. Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Tuni
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich Munich Germany
| | | | - Niels J. Dingemanse
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich Munich Germany
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10
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Losdat S, Rojas Mora A, Bellut C, Chargé R, Falchi V, Glauser G, Vallat A, Helfenstein F. Social dominance, but not parasite load, affects sperm quality and sperm redox status in house sparrows. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.200675. [PMID: 31439651 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.200675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Sperm performance is an important component of male reproductive success. However, sperm production is costly and males need to optimize their investment in sperm quality versus the somatic traits involved in mating success, e.g. their social status. As oxidative stress affects both sperm performance and somatic functions, it has been hypothesized to mediate such a trade-off. According to the oxidation-based soma/germline trade-off hypothesis, dominant males should favour the antioxidant protection of their somatic tissues, and subordinate males should favour the antioxidant protection of their sperm. We tested this hypothesis by experimentally infecting wild-caught house sparrows Passer domesticus with Coccidia Isopora sp., an internal parasite known to deplete antioxidant resources. We predicted that (i) increased parasite load affects sperm oxidative status and sperm performance and that (ii) males with experimentally high parasite load adjust the antioxidant protection of their soma versus their sperm according to their social status. Despite a 5400% increase in parasite load, sperm performance and somatic and spermatic oxidative status remained unaffected, irrespective of male social status. Nevertheless, males increased their sperm performance over time, a pattern mirrored by an increase in the antioxidant protection of their sperm. Moreover, males at the lower end of the hierarchy always produced sperm of lower velocity, suggesting that they were constrained and privileged their soma over their germline. To conclude, high parasite loads do not necessarily affect sperm performance and oxidative status. In contrast, social hierarchy and the relative investment in soma versus sperm antioxidant protection are determinants of sperm performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Losdat
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Alfonso Rojas Mora
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Caroline Bellut
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Rémi Chargé
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Valentina Falchi
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Gaétan Glauser
- Neuchâtel Platform of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Armelle Vallat
- Neuchâtel Platform of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Fabrice Helfenstein
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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11
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Friesen CR, de Graaf SP, Olsson M. The relationship of body condition, superoxide dismutase, and superoxide with sperm performance. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Sperm competition theory predicts a negative correlation between somatic investment and traits that aid in pre- and postcopulatory sexual selection. Sperm performance is critical for postcopulatory success but sperm are susceptible to damage by free radicals such as superoxide radicals generated during mitochondrial respiration (mtSOx). Males can ameliorate damage to spermatozoa by investing in the production of antioxidants, like superoxide dismutase (SOD), which may act as a mechanistic link to pre- and postcopulatory trade-offs. Some male Australian, color-polymorphic painted dragon lizards (Ctenophorus pictus) possess a yellow throat patch (bib) that females prefer over nonbibbed males and are also more likely to win male–male contests indicating that males with bibs may be better at monopolizing females. We tested whether the sperm performance in nonbibbed males was superior to that of bibbed males. We show that overall sperm performance was not different between the bib-morphs, however, higher mtSOx levels were negatively correlated with sperm performance in bibbed males, but not of nonbibbed males. Blood cell mtSOx levels are negatively correlated with SOD activity in the plasma in all males early in the breeding season but SOD was lower in bibbed males. Nonbibbed males maintain a positive correlation between body condition and SOD activity over time while bibbed males do not. Together, these data suggest physiological associations between body condition, SOD activity, and sperm performance are linked to the expression of a yellow gular patch, which may be related to intrinsic differences in the metabolism of bibbed versus nonbibbed males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Friesen
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
- Faculty of Science, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Ross St. Camperdown, NSW Australia, Australia
| | - Simon P de Graaf
- Faculty of Science, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Ross St. Camperdown, NSW Australia, Australia
| | - Mats Olsson
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
- Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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12
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Meniri M, Gohon F, Gning O, Glauser G, Vallat A, Fasel NJ, Helfenstein F. Experimental manipulation of reproductive tactics in Seba's short-tailed bats: consequences on sperm quality and oxidative status. Curr Zool 2019; 65:609-616. [PMID: 31857807 PMCID: PMC6911846 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoz011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
To reproduce, males have to fertilize the female’s eggs, sometimes in competition with ejaculates of other males. In species where males display alternative reproductive tactics, whereby territorial males secure mating and non-territorial males have to sneak copulations, the latter might be expected to invest relatively more resources towards sperm quality compared with the territorial males. Sperm cells are especially vulnerable to oxidative stress, which reduces male fertility. Therefore, antioxidant resources are expected to modulate sperm quality, and might be allocated differently between reproductive tactics. To test the link between reproductive tactics, redox profile and sperm quality, we experimentally induced changes in the reproductive tactics of 39 captive males Seba’s short-tailed bats Carollia perspicillata. We monitored the blood and ejaculate oxidative balance, and the sperm quality before, 7 days and 21 days after the manipulation of reproductive tactic. Although ejaculates’ oxidative damage was negatively related to sperm velocity, males exhibited similar blood and ejaculates redox profiles and similar sperm quality, regardless of their reproductive tactic. Possibly, these results arise as a consequence of some constraints having been lifted during the experiment. Our results also suggest that, in Seba’s short-tailed bats, the expression of alternative reproductive tactics is not subjected to strong oxidative constraints. Furthermore, our results could reflect an absence of trade-off between pre- and post-copulatory traits in harem males, as they could be selected to invest both in female attraction and sperm quality, as a consequence of their inability to fully monopolize females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magali Meniri
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Florence Gohon
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Ophélie Gning
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Gaétan Glauser
- Neuchatel Platform of Analytical Chemistry, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Armelle Vallat
- Neuchatel Platform of Analytical Chemistry, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | | | - Fabrice Helfenstein
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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13
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Simmons LW, Lovegrove M, Lymbery SJ. Dietary antioxidants, but not courtship effort, affect oxidative balance in the testes and muscles of crickets. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.184770. [PMID: 30190320 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.184770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Recent interest has focused on the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as universal constraints in life-history evolution. Empirical studies have examined the oxidative costs of reproduction for females, with little work conducted on males. The male germline is thought to be particularly susceptible to oxidative damage because the testes, and the sperm themselves, can be prolific producers of ROS. We tested the hypothesis that protection of the male germline from oxidative damage represents a cost of reproduction for males. We fed male crickets, Teleogryllus oceanicus, with one of two experimental diets in which we manipulated the availability of dietary antioxidants, and we induced variation in their expenditure on courtship effort by manipulating access to females. We measured the total antioxidant capacity, levels of ROS production and the amount of oxidative damage to proteins in both testis and thoracic muscle tissues. Dietary antioxidants contributed to positive oxidative balance in both tissue types. Although the testes had greater antioxidant defences than muscle tissue, they also produced considerably higher levels of ROS and sustained higher levels of oxidative damage. Courtship effort had no impact on any measure of oxidative balance. Our data confirm that the male germline is especially susceptible to oxidative stress and that dietary antioxidants can alleviate this oxidative cost of reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leigh W Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Maxine Lovegrove
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Samuel J Lymbery
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences (M092), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
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14
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Rojas Mora A, Meniri M, Ciprietti S, Helfenstein F. Is sperm morphology functionally related to sperm swimming ability? A case study in a wild passerine bird with male hierarchies. BMC Evol Biol 2018; 18:142. [PMID: 30231935 PMCID: PMC6146611 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-018-1260-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sexual selection continues after copulation via either sperm competition or cryptic female choice, and favors sperm traits that maximize sperm competitiveness. Both sperm swimming velocity and longevity are important determinants of the outcome of sperm competition. Theoretically, sperm morphology can influence sperm velocity at least in three different non-exclusive ways: (i) longer sperm may generate more propelling thrust, (ii) bigger midpieces may produce more energy, and/or (iii) larger flagella or mid-pieces relative to the head size may compensate for the drag forces around the head. A growing number of studies have investigated the relationship of sperm morphology with sperm performance, which remains equivocal at both the inter- and intra-specific levels. Here, we used House Sparrows to test the functional relationship between sperm morphology with sperm velocity and longevity. Based on a previous study showing that sperm swimming ability covaries with social rank, we predicted that —if a functional relationship exists—1) sperm morphology should differ across social ranks, and 2) correlations between sperm morphology and sperm velocity and/or sperm longevity should be constant across social ranks. Results We found no differences in sperm morphology across social ranks. Moreover, we found that sperm morphology may be correlated with sperm velocity, but such relationship varied across social ranks. This result contradicts the hypothesis of a functional relationship between sperm morphology and sperm performance. Finally, after experimentally manipulating social ranks, we observed that relationships between sperm morphology and sperm velocity and/or sperm longevity disappeared or changed direction. Conclusions We suggest that in species with internal fertilization, while sperm morphology is likely constrained by the morphology of the female sperm storage organs, selection may act upon physiological traits that enhance sperm performance. Hence, these two selection forces could decouple sperm performance from sperm morphology. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12862-018-1260-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Rojas Mora
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland. .,Present Address: Laboratory of Ecology and Epidemiology of Parasites, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchatel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000, Neuchatel, Switzerland.
| | - Magali Meniri
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Sabrina Ciprietti
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Fabrice Helfenstein
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecophysiology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland
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15
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Ålund M, Persson Schmiterlöw S, McFarlane SE, Qvarnström A. Optimal sperm length for high siring success depends on forehead patch size in collared flycatchers. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Murielle Ålund
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Siri Persson Schmiterlöw
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - S Eryn McFarlane
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anna Qvarnström
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen, Uppsala, Sweden
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